Matthew

The Long View

March 17, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

The world takes the short view of things, but Christians must take the long view. It’s another way of saying followers of Christ must live with an eternal rather than temporal perspective. While we should cherish every moment entrusted to us by God, we must live in such a way as to always be living for what will matter 10,000 years from now, not what will matter tomorrow.

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Life as a Jesus follower should never be about instant gratification or momentary pleasure. We have an eternal purpose and must live accordingly. Don’t get caught up in the things of this world and seek to improve your place in it. Instead, train your desires toward things that last and will glorify God.

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A Meditation on Psalm 121

February 21, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

What do you do when worry overtakes you? Where do you turn? The author of Psalm 121 knew the answer. He lifted His eyes towards Heaven and knew His help came from the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2). We must never forget this truth when the troubles of life threaten to overwhelm us. The very One who made all of Heaven and the earth is an ever-present help in our times of need and distress (Psalm 46:1-3).

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God never leaves or abandons us (Deuteronomy 31:6). If God is for us, no person or circumstance can stand against us (Romans 8:31-32). Jesus defeated death itself on our behalf (2 Timothy 1:10; John 11:25; Hebrews 2:14-15; Revelation 1:17-18). There is no longer a reason to fear anything. It’s difficult to feel overwhelmed when you are fearless!

Perseverance

January 31, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

Perhaps nothing is more necessary to living the Christian life than perseverance. If you want to live like Jesus, life will test you (John 16:33). For those who dare to call Jesus Lord, know your path will not be the easy way. You will need to develop firm resolve and require buckets full of perseverance to get through this life. We are not on our own here. God’s Word has much to say about perseverance, the need for it, and how to develop more.

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If you’ve read and studied the Bible over the years, you are no doubt familiar with Job’s story. He had everything you could ever want in this world, and he walked humbly before God. In a flash, he lost everything. Wracked in pain and sorrow, Job persevered through the pain and refused to give up His faith in our holy God. He is an incredible model of what perseverance looks like in the life of a believer.

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How Then Should We Live?

January 27, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

What is the purpose in life for those who declare Jesus Christ as their Lord? How, then, should we live? If we spend our lives pursuing the same things as those who reject Christ, what then is the point of our commitment to Him? There has to be something different about the way we live. The world around us is caught up in a selfish pursuit to find pleasure, safety, and comfort.

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Is that all there is? Is that the reason Christ died for us? There has to be more. Somewhere along the line, we lost track of what it means to live a life wholly devoted to Christ and began living a life devoted to our comfort and happiness. If we don’t return to living for Jesus, the consequences will be grave and eternal.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

January 20, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the world is a little crazy these days. The laws, morality, and ethics taught by the Bible are under a withering attack. This is nothing new, of course. Every generation has seen their faith tested. There have been times throughout history where the Church has been forced into hiding. Indeed, in many countries around the world, this is still the case today.

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But after nearly a century of religious freedom in most of the Western world, this feels new to us. Unprecedented. We are seeing people rebel against God in very public and blatant ways. History is being rewritten to accommodate the sinful desires of a few whose sole purpose is to serve their own pleasures rather than those of God.